1. Field of the Invention
Apparatuses and methods consistent with the present invention relate to a read/write head, a method of manufacturing the same, and an information storage device and, more particularly, to an electric field read/write head, a method of manufacturing the same, and an information storage device including the electric field read/write head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A hard disk drive (HDD), i.e., the primary storage device of a computer, operates by spinning a data recording medium and suspending a read/write head over it so as to read and write data. A conventional HDD generally uses magnetic writing. In this case, the HDD generates a magnetic field to create a plurality of magnetic domains magnetized in a first direction on the magnetic recording medium and in a second direction opposite to the first direction. The magnetic domains magnetized in the first and second directions correspond to data ‘0’ and data ‘1’, respectively.
The writing densities of HDDs employing the magnetic writing method have increased tremendously over the last few decades. Horizontal magnetic writing can result in a recording density of approximately 100 Gb/in2, and vertical magnetic writing can result in a recording density of approximately 500 Gb/in2.
However, because a magnetic field has generally a loop shape, a magnetic read/write head can have difficulty forming a strong localized magnetic field. This basic limitation restricts the possibility to increase the recoding density in the case of the magnetic writing method.
Accordingly, in order to increase the recording density of HDDs, other writing methods must be considered.
Recently, much research has been conducted on ferroelectric writing media (on which data is written using electric fields) and corresponding read/write heads (electric field read/write heads). In the electric field writing method, an electric field is generated to form electric domains polarized in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction on a ferroelectric surface. The electric domains polarized in the first and second directions correspond to data ‘0’ and data ‘1’, respectively. According to the polarized direction of an electric domain, the resistance of the electric field read/write head above that domain changes so that the data written in the electric domain can be discerned.
An electric field read/write head used in the electric field writing method has a scanning probe with a field effect transistor channel configuration, a scanning probe with a resistive tip, etc. When a scanning probe microscope (SPM) technology in which the above scanning probe is employed is used, a stronger and more localized energy (electric field) can be emitted in electric field writing, thereby increasing the recording density to 1 Tb/in2 or higher.
However, in the electric field writing method based on SPM technology, problems related to friction and wear arise due to the contact between the surfaces of a sharp probe and a recording medium. Also, in order to use a probe-type head to form a compact and large-capacity data storage device, several thousand probe arrays must be made, and the writing head including thousands of the probe arrays must be precisely linearly moved above the recording medium. In this case, during a writing operation, signals must be applied separately to each probe, and during a reading operation, signals from the respective probes must be processed separately. These factors hinder the realization of a compact, large capacity data storage device that uses electric field writing based on SPM technology.
Thus, a new read/write head that can overcome the above problems, and an electric field writing-type data read/write device having a driving mechanism that is more secure and reliable are required.